Quick Chronicles: Article 3
By Robert Gates
Hamilton town government continues march toward a Town Meeting goal to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Today, all of the electricity used in Hamilton’s municipal operations is purchased from 100% renewable sources.
The newest town committee aiding this effort is the Hamilton Environmental Impact Committee (HEIC), which was formed by the Select Board following a 2022 Annual Town Meeting vote to make the town government carbon neutral by 2040.
The renewable energy produced right here in Hamilton from the solar array on the former Chebacco Road landfill saves money, with $20,000 going toward the town’s electrical bills to cover the additional cost of renewable energy. More Hamilton-made renewable energy will enter the grid by 2026 from a new solar array atop the DPW garage. The energy produced there is expected to meet the new Town Hall’s electric demand, plus with new geothermal energy make Hamilton the first historic Town Hall in Massachusetts with net-zero carbon footprint.
Previously, the gas heater in the currently closed Town Hall building produced 34 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. Additionally, the building’s electric usage was 9.4 metric tons. That will be zero when the Town Hall renovation project is complete in 2026.
With the Town Hall project now underway, the HEIC committee is moving its focus to the local schools, where the committee found the boiler at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School produces 622 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
“The schools are the biggest polluter of greenhouse gas emitters in town short of [emissions] data around the Gordon-Conwell seminary, and we don’t have insight into that” said committee member Emmett Holt. “If Hamilton is going to get to net-zero carbon by 2040, we need to focus on the schools that generate 70% of our emissions vs, the Hamilton’s municipal emissions of 30%.
HEIC is an advisory committee to the Select Board, consulting and championing Hamilton’s commitment to reducing environmental impact. “Its mission is as important as ever,” according to Holt.
“We’ve seen the drought and the forest fires,” said HEIC Chair Jeanne Maurand. “Two forest fires, right where I live near the Cutler School, that were put out by the fire department. “These events are tangible things from climate change.”
Hamilton is recognized by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) as a Green Community (since 2010), and seeks to become a Climate Leader community, with four additional requirements to earn for that recognition and DOER title. Progress continues, as Hamilton now purchases 100% renewable power with an electricity supplier. “Hamilton town government now operates on 100% renewable electricity,” confirmed Vicky Masone, PE, Energy Manager for Hamilton, when speaking on the Select Board’s goal to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
However, many of the sustainability goals driven by declining water scarcity and research findings on climate change, are simultaneously dependent on the technology available for the kinds of work municipalities need to provide, such as snow removal, wastewater solutions and investing in electric vehicles.
“We’re making good progress on the energy use in our buildings, but if we are going to get to net-zero as a community by 2040, we’re going to have to see some significant improvements in electrical vehicle technology,” said Town Manger Joseph J. Domelowicz Jr. “The fact is that we are using some electric vehicles now, but with the time to charge and the lack of heavy-duty trucks capable of snow plowing and sanding operations, the vehicle side of town energy usage is a big concern.”
In addition to proving support to the town government’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, the HEIC committee also supports sustainability initiatives that benefit all residents while respecting the voters’ initiatives. While the 2022 Annual Town Meeting vote focused on making the town government and school district carbon neutral, it did not include a mandate for every home and business in town. That’s where volunteers and residents can come alongside the HEIC and make a difference.
Hamilton resident Jeremy Foster pushed for participation in an existing Rain Barrell program he saw offered in Wenham and approached the HEIC for awareness support. The result of those efforts included the return of a subsidized discounted rain barrel offer for Hamilton residents the first time in five years.
The Select Board’s approval of $2,000 toward the program means 50 residents will get an additional $40 discount off the wholesale rate of $89.00 Orders must be placed online by midnight on May 18 on the Great American Rain Barrel website. Pickup will be at the Wenham DPW on Grapevine Road in late May.
The HEIC committee also supports the Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program, which is a National Grid enrollment initiative. Through this CCA program, all electric ratepayers in the town benefit from lower rates by participating in a collective purchase of electricity.
The average electric ratepayer in Hamilton saves $288 annually from the program, which includes 5% renewable energy.
In total, all Hamilton CCA customers buy about 20 megawatts of electricity annually and 7% of it is renewable, boosted by residents who pay more for all green energy. Hamilton standard option is already five percent more renewable energy content than required by state law, but for an additional $110 annually, on average, electric consumers can buy 100% renewable energy from solar, wind, anaerobic digestion and low-impact hydro located within New England.
The HEIC works closely with the Hamilton Wenham Climate Action Team (HWCAT) who sponsored the 2022 Town Meeting vote that set the target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. The HWCAT is sponsoring a Green Energy Homes Tour on May 3, as a Show and Tell of sorts, to demonstrate residential conversion to electric options such as heat pumps, electric appliances, electric vehicles, and solar panels, and electric power tools.
With Earth Day just around the corner and the spring solstice upon us, now is the perfect time to learn more about the HEIC, perhaps attend a meeting and explore how we can all work together to build a cleaner, greener world.
This article is part of Quick Chronicles, a series of brief blog-format stories celebrating the people, events, and history of the town. Inspired by the legacy of the Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle, the former print community newspaper, these mini features will shine a spotlight on the vibrant Hamilton community and the remarkable individuals who live and work here. “Quick Chronicles” aims to keep the spirit of local storytelling alive, sharing snapshots of what makes Hamilton unique while fostering a deeper connection among residents.
Quick Chronicles stories are available for media to share as long as the writer is credited and the story links to Hamiltonma.gov.
